May 2008 - GSL-Marina - mailman.xmission.com

Weather Warning
by gslharbormaster 29 May '08

29 May '08

Storm Warning A Storm Warning has been issued for the Great Salt Lake Marina Area and the Great Salt Lake A series of thunderstorms are now blooming in the West Desert and heading toward the Great Salt Lake. These storms have rain, wind and lightning associated with them. Winds will be gusty near these active cells. These cells are expected to develop and persist for the rest of the day. Seas conditions and weather conditions could be dangerous for boating for the rest of the day. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Lake Level Report
by gslharbormaster 29 May '08

29 May '08

Lake Level Assessment for the Great Salt Lake Marina May 29, 2008 GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. This has been a very confused year for the Great Salt Lake. Run-off that we usually expect in April just has not developed. The water just isn't reaching the Great Salt Lake. I have been pouring over charts this week and they make little sence for a normal runoff. I finally called Brian McInerney, NOAA's water watch expert for Utah. He is just as confused. We developed some conclusions based on the charts and what follows is our assesment and opinion of the water flow for the next few months. In A Normal Year In a normal year Great Salt Lake will begin to rise very slowly mid January. By late March or Early April this rise becomes very substantial with increased runoff. This rise can be as much as 1/10 a foot every three days. Runoff begins to slow late April to mid May. At this point runoff slows and evaporation kicks in as the lake warms up. Basically runoff and evaporation keep the lake level in check until the first to mid June where evaporation begins to be the dominant factor for lake level. By late June evaporation is gaining ground and the lake begins to drop rapidly from July through August. Then evaporation begins to slow in September and comes to a crawl in October. The lake usually bottoms out by Thanksgiving. In a normal year Great Salt Lake gets 50% of its water from direct precipitation and 50% from river flows. In a normal year we will come up 2 feet and drop 2 feet. This is not a normal year. What Has Happened So Far This Year Well, Great Salt Lake does create the Greatest Snow On Earth. December through February produced good moisture that came from outside Utah (Pacific Storms). But March and April were actually very dry. Although the mountains were getting plenty of snow, this snow was from Great Salt Lake. Dry Cold Fronts traveling from the Pacific would hit the moderatly warm waters of Great Salt Lake and produce plentiful "Lake Effect" storms in the mountains. IE, we have just been recycling GSL water back to the hills. These "Lake Effect" storms have created an impressive snowpack in the Wasatch and Uintah mountains. Today that GSL Drainage snowpack is at 125% of normal (the highest percentage for the water year). Yet, for Great Salt Lake, this is a false snowpack since most of this came from the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake begin to rise rapidly mid January. Everything looked on track for a great runoff until mid March when everything turned cold again and these Dry Cold Fronts started crossing Great Salt Lake. These cold temperatures shut off the rivers draining into the lake. The Dry Cold Fronts took moisture out of the lake and deposited it back into the mountains. This pattern, except for a short heat wave two weeks ago, has been the dominant pattern. The lake has actually dropped 2/10ths of a foot since early March. Right now the lake is staying quite stable at 4195.9 through March, April, and May. This is something that has not happened for a long time. As stated earlier, Great Salt Lake gets 50% of its water from direct precipitation and 50% from river flows. We have actually been lower than normal on direct precipitation. Industries Effect on the Lake I'm not the type that makes industry the boogeyman of the environment. But I do want to spell out another factor having an impact on the lake right now. Both GSL Minerals and Mag Corp (AMAX) have evaporation ponds that border the lake. Both companies are pumping vast amounts of water from the lake and into these evaporation ponds at the current time. So this does not help the recreation uses of the lake when the water is already low. What We Are Observing There are three currents on the Great Salt Lake. These currents are generated by the three rivers that flow into the lake along with the Goggins Drainage. These currents are named for these rivers. The most dominant current flowing into the lake is the Bear River current. This current is fed from water flow out of Bear River Bay and the Weber/Oden rivers. This current flows west between Freemont Island and Promontory Point and then along the causeway where part of it flows into the north arm of the lake and the other part flows around Carrington Bay. The other dominant current of the Great Salt Lake is the Jordan River Current. This current flows northwest from Farmington Bay near the Antelope Island Marina. This current then flows along the southwest shore of Freemont Island before curving down along Hat Island, Carrington Island, and down Stansbury Island before turning east and then northeast along Eardley Spit. The third, less dominant current is the one that most sailors on Great Salt Lake observe. This is the Goggins Current and it runs southwest outside the marina and on the south end of the GSLYC race course. The Bear River current provides 80% of the river flow to the Great Salt Lake (60% from Bear River and 20% from Weber/Ogden) and should be very strong right now. It is not flowing at all or is very light when presant. The Jordan River current provides 20% of the river flow to the Great Salt Lake and should be flowing very strong right now. It is now flowing moderatly. The Goggins Current provides very little water to the Great Salt Lake yet it is flowing very strong right now. The Bear River Drainage At the upper river guages the river is flowing at about max. But at the guages near the inlet to the Great Salt Lake, there is very little flow into Bear River Bay. This means that although snowpack is great and the water is coming down rapidly, it is not reaching the lake. It is either going into reservoirs or going into the ground. Bear River, our most important river water source, will likely be a non-player this year. This is very bad news. The Weber/Ogden Rivers At the upper river guages the river is flowing at about max. But at the guages near the inlet to Great Salt Lake, there is below normal flow. It is flowing at a better rate than the Bear but only contributes 20% of our river water. The fact that this source is also part of the Bear River Current and the Bear River Current is not running or running weak means that this river water source will be a very weak player this year. Not good news. The good news though is that Pineview is full and Willard will not be filled this year. We could see an increase in the water from this source for the next few months. The Jordan River Drainage This water is actually making it to the lake yet at below normal rates. The Provo River drainage snowpack is very high. We may yet see some significant water come from this river source. Yet, only 20% of our river water comes from this source. The Prediction and Outlook (don't hold us to this. We're just idiots making foolish guesses) The Great Salt Lake has likely hit its peak level for the year. We may see another small bump in the lake level but it probably will not be significant. Weather and River charts suggest that we will see warmer temperatures causing the snowpack to begin coming down again. This happened a few weeks ago. We lost a great deal of snowpack during that short spell, yet the water level did not come up. This next round of runoff may have more of an impact on the lake causing this small bump. but it will not be significant. This prediction is based on the next three weeks of charts. A hindering factor at this point is that the lake has warmed up. It will likely exceed 70 degrees this weekend. Evaporation will accelerate. Runoff should keep this in check for awhile. So, if the temperatures do not soar above normal, we are likely going to see our continuing trend of around 4195.9 for the next three weeks. Long term NOAA charts are showing above average temperatures for June through August along with below normal precipitation for the sampe period. They show no drought conditions except for the Bear River area where they show a persistant or worsening drought. Long Term Scenarios I have basically worked out two scenarios. Neither one is good. One is devastating. Scenario Number One We have a moderate summer with no long stretches of above normal temperatures (we don't park in the mid 90's or have a stretch abouve 100 degree temperatures. We have average normal temperatues). The lake should remain relatively steady through most of June and then decrease late June through October. We would loose about 1.6 feet from where we are now ending up with a lake level of 4194.3 (about where we were in 2004 for a low) This will match the worst lake level we have had since the drought developed. This scenario is not likely based on the long Term NOAA Charts. Scenario Number Two We have a summer similar to last year where it was very hot and very dry. Sailing will be excellent on the GSL until late July or mid August where some of the boats will no longer be able to access the lake. The lake should remain relatively steady through most of June and then rapidly decrease late June through October. We would loose about 2 to 2.5 feet from where we are now ending with a lake level of 4193.9 to 4193.4 (the worst level since the 1960's). Will We Loose Access To The Lake This Year? Yes it is possible. It is likely the deeper draft boats will be trapped by late summer to early fall. It is possible that most of the boats could be stuck in the marina by early to mid fall. The problem does not lie where we dredged. The problem lies at the end of 'B' dock. This is an area we tried to dredge but could not reach. It gets worse. We could loose the launch ramp to all but the shallowest draft boats. We will likely loose the north half of 'B' dock. We will likely loose the south half of 'E' dock Antelope Island Marina will cease to be a viable sailing destination for all sailboats. Final Thoughs I want to thank Brian Mcinerny's help on this. He and I are both confused at the lack of water that is coming from the river sources. And here is where some hope lies. We do not know what is going on. We cannot account for the fact that the runoff is strong and rivers are flowing at capacity at the upper elevations yet is not making it down to the lake. We are making assumptions that the water is being held at the upper elevations or is being absorbed into the ground (we have had reports that wells, which are usually full by now, are having water problems). If our assumptions are incorrect, then there is still a lot of runoff that may make it down to the lake in June. The key is to keep moderate June temperatures and to have the water reach us rather than the aquafirs. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Navigation Notice #1 05-29-08
by gslharbormaster 29 May '08

29 May '08

Navigation Notice #1 May 29, 2008 Deep Channel Buoy #R2 has broken loose and is now on the beach. We will work to retrieve this buoy today and have it set back in place in the next few days. In the meantime, when returning to the marina from the lake, find Deep Channel Buoy #G1. >From there, head for the smokestack. This will take you to Deep Channel buoy #R4 Thank you Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Crane Day
by Dave Shearer 28 May '08

28 May '08

Crane Day has been changed from June 2nd to June 3rd. Please RSVP Thanks Dave Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Holiday Weekend Forecast
by gslharbormaster 22 May '08

22 May '08

Memorial Day Holiday Weekend Forecast GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. I have had some requests for my opinion on the weather forecast for Great Salt Lake this weekend. So I have provided a forecast for Memorial Day weekend. Realize that I am not a meteorologist so this forecast may not be worth the garbage that it may be. The forecast is based on my interpretation of all the weather charts I look at during the day. It is also focused on the general marina area but does have some applications for the whole Great Salt Lake So here it is for what its worth: Current Conditions Lake Level 4195.9 Lake Level Trend Steady Water Temperature 58 degrees Current Flows Most currents are running low to moderate but may pickup by Monday. Snowpack 97% Moon Stage Mostly full but waning Saturday Cloudy and remaining cool High 63 degrees Max Real feel 60 degrees Winds (on the lake) S at 10 mph gusting to 20 mph (might have a north flow at the marina) Maximum UV 5 Thunderstorm Probability: Low (19%) Amount of Precip. 0.02 Hours of precip. 1 hour Prob. of precip (1am to 4am) 40% Prob. of precip (4am to 7am) 50% Prob. of precip (7am to 1pm) 25% Prob. of precip (1pm to 7pm) 7% Sunrise 6:04pm Sunset 8:46pm Sea conditions: Generally light near the marina. light to moderate southerly swells farther north. Water temperatures: Mid to high 50's Hypothermia index: Exhaustion or unconciousness in 1 to 2 hours / death in 1 to 6 hours General wind on the GSL will be dominated by a light to moderate southerly flow through the day although local areas may vary at times and thunderstorms may also temporarily affect the wind flow. Temperatures will remain below normal. Low probability for high winds Low probability for thunderstorms. A weather warning might be issued if thunderstorms develop but is not likely at this time Saturday Night Cloudy with periods of rain late Low 46 degrees Minimum Real Feel 41 degrees Winds S at 13 mph gusting to 21 mph (might have a north flow at the marina) Thunderstorm Probability: Low (12%) Amount of precip. 0.01 Hours of precip. 3 hours Prob. of precip (7pm to 1am) 8% Moonrise 12:18am Moonset 9:34am Sea conditions: Generally light near the marina. light to moderate local swells farther north Water temperatures: Mid to high 50's Hypothermai Index: Exhaustion or unconciousness in 1 to 2 hours / death in 1 to 6 hours General winds on the GSL will be dominated by a light and dying southerly flow through the night. Local areas may vary at times and thunderstorms may also temporarily affect the wind flow. Temperatures will remain below normal Low probability of high winds Low probability of thunderstorms. A weather warning might be issued if thunderstomrs develop but is not likely at this time Sunday Considerable cloudiness High 66 degrees Maximum real feel 64 degrees Winds S at 9 mph gusting to 16 mph (might have a northerly flow at the marina) Maximum uv 4 Thunderstorm Probability: Low (17%) Amount of precip: 0.00 Hours of precip: 1 Prob. of precip (1am to 7am) 54% Prob. of precip (7am to 1pm) 31% Prob. of precip (1pm to 7pm) 7% Sunrise 6:03am Sunset 8:47pm Sea conditions: Generally light Water temperatures: Mid to high 50's Hypothermia index: Exhaustion or unconciousness in 1 to 2 hours / death in 1 to 6 hours General wind on the GSL will be affected by local geographic and thermal conditions. General wind patterns will be light flowing off the lake and towards land features. Temperatures will remain below normal Low probability of high winds Low probability of thunderstorms A weather warning is unlikely at this time Sunday Night Mainly clear Low: 47 degrees Minimum real feel: 39 degrees Winds ESE at 14 mph with gusts to 22 mph Thunderstorm probability: low (10%) Amount of precip: 0.00 Hours of rain 0 Prob. of precip (7pm to 1am) 4% Moonrise 12:52am Moonset 10:39am Sea conditions: Generally light Water temperatures: Mid to high 50's Hypothermia index: Exhaustion or unconciousness in 1 to 2 hours / death in 1 to 6 hours General winds on the GSL will be affected by local geographic and thermal conditions. General wind patterns will be light flowing back on the lake away from land features. Temperatures will remain below normal Low probability of high winds Low probability of thunderstorms A weather warning is unlikely at this time Monday Pleasant with partial sunshine High 71 degrees Maximum real feel: 68 degrees Winds WSW at 14 with gusts to 24mph (further up the lake. Likely a north flow near the marina). Maximum UV 7 Thunderstorm probability: Low (15%) Amount of precip. 0.00 Hours of precip. 0 Prob. of precip (1am to 7am) 4% Prob. of precip (7am on) 3% Sunrise: 6:03am Sunset: 8:48pm Sea conditions: Generally light Water temperatures: Mid to high 50's Hypothermia index: Exhaustion or unconciousness in 1 to 2 hours / death in 1 to 6 hours General winds on the GSL will be affected by local geographic and thermal conditions until afternoon where a light southerly pattern is likely to develop (winds will likely be light from the north at the marina) Low probability of high winds Low probability of thunderstorms A weather warning is unlikely at this time Monday Night Hopefully quiet at the marina Thats it. Take it for what its worth. Its mostly my guess. Keep informed by local weather sources such as NOAA, radio and television. Give me feedback. If you would like the forecasts for holiday weekends to continue, I will try to do them. If you don't, I will be happy to stop them Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Weather Warning this Afternoon
by gslharbormaster 20 May '08

20 May '08

Weather Warning A Gale Force Warning has been issued for the Great Salt Lake Marina area and the Great Salt Lake for this afternoon. Strong and gusty southerly winds are possible this afternoon and evening. Winds will be gusty from the south starting this afternoon and building while switching to the northwest later this evening. Winds will begin to diminish after midnight. A storm warning may be issued late tonight and into tomorrow depending on sea and lightning conditions. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Marina News
by gslharbormaster 19 May '08

19 May '08

Marina News For Week of May 19th 2009 Current Conditions Lake Level 4195.9 (Evaporation seems to have us in its clutches) Lake Temperature 72 degrees Snowpack 110% Lake Analysis The outlook for the lake level is not looking so hot anymore. The runoff is so late this year and the lake and air temperature is getting warm enough that evaporation may keep up with inflow. We have taken a couple trips up the lake to where the rivers flow in. With the exception of the Goggins Drainage, the currents are pretty week. Flow is just not getting here yet. The encouraging news though is that in 1983 the floods didn't begin until Mothers Day and Memorial Day Weekends. If we don't see significant flows by the end of next week I think our lake level situation may be quite grim. Brine Shrimp Hatch We have had a couple hatches this spring just to have them die off when the lake gets cold again. We finally had a decent hatch this week. I don't thing we will have another significant cold spell that could kill this hatch off. This means that the lake should start clearing up quickly as the brine shrimp begin to eat the algae. Spider Spraying We will begin to spray for spiders starting tomorrow. This first spray will concentrate on the breakwall rocks and parking lot where the baby spiders hatch. After this weeks series of storms we will do another spray on the docks. Spider Control The spiders are just beginning to hatch. You, as a slip renter, can greatly reduce the spiders around your slip. The most effective means is to put a pressure nozzle on a garden hose and then spray water underneath your slips and docks. Get around all the floats and braces and spray off all the egg sacks. This is what I have done on my slip on 'K' dock. I usually spray off my slip, the slips on each side of my boat, and the slips across from my boat. I do this once a week for about three weeks. It cuts down on the amount of spiders greatly. Another method of getting rid of the spiders is to spray them with with Black Flag Ant and Roach Killer. This comes in a green can and can be purchased at any grocery store. "Hot Shots" also works well. Also spray along the edges of your dock. Orb Weavers The spiders that are most common in the Great Salt Lake Marina are called Orb Weavers. This means "Web Spinner". Although they can bite they are quite harmless. Most bites will be no worse than a mosquito bite. Orb Weavers are not agressive to humans. And they do have one benefit; They are very agressive towards other species of spiders, namely the Black Widow. Black Widows are very common on the Islands and shores of Great Salt Lake. We do have them in the marina too but not in as large of numbers as Other areas on Great Salt Lake. Slip Payments A few of our slip renters seem to be sending their payments to the wrong address. The correct address is: Great Salt Lake State Marina PO Box 16658 Salt Lake City, Utah 84116 Some of you are sending the checks to the main Natural Resources address which is: P.O. Box 146001 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114 Sending checks to the DNR address could slow down payment processing by months. Please check the address you or your bank is sending payments to. Bill Garcia Memorial Trophy It is that time of year to award the Bill Garcia Memorial Trophy. For those who do not know who Bill Garcia was he was a gentleman who was very much a part of the Great Salt Lake community. He was always unselfish with his time and contributed greatly to the sailors out here. Bill and his wife Leslie owned an advertizing company called Scopes Garcia Carlisle. Back in 1996 Bill was killed in a plane crash in Idaho with several others including Coca Cola executives from Swier Coca Cola. Each year, during Sail Fest we award the Bill Garcia Memorial Trophy to an individual in recognition of an outstanding acheivement in sailing, contribution to the sailing community, or in recognition of an attitude that exemplifies the community spirit of sailing. I am looking for nominations for this year's presentation. If you have a nomination please email me at gslharbormaster(a)hughes.net The Reef Yes, there is still a reef out front of the marina. Thank you, to all those who have recently run aground and confirmed this. And thank you, again, for helping us keep our "Vessel Assist" numbers up. Memorial Day Weekend This weekend is the first big holiday weekend of the boating season. Early forecast charts showed an unsettled or stormy weekend. Now they are trending to some nicer weather by friday with slowly climbing temperatures. The marina could be busy. Weather Warning Looking at the current weather charts I expect we will be issuing either a Gale Force warning or a Storm Warning sometime tomorrow. Chances of lightning and thunderstorms on Wednesday. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Crane Day
by Dave Shearer 18 May '08

18 May '08

CRANE DAY Monday, June 2 Great Salt Lake Marina (This date is approximate. It may float to a day later due to a boat that is traveling from Florida) For anyone needing use of the crane Please reserve your crane spot in advance. Share the Crane costs with others! CALL DAVE SHEARER FOR MORE INFORMATION 801-209-9142 Or email dshearer(a)gslyc.org

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Marina News 5-13-08
by gslharbormaster 13 May '08

13 May '08

Marina News For The Week Of May 13, 2008 Current Conditions Lake Level 4196.1 (finally some upper movement) Water Temperatures 58 degrees (should heat up rapidly by the end of the week) Snowpack for GSL 113% Navigation Issues Navigation Notice #1 May 13, 2008 The red light on buoy R4 has been out for a few weeks. The new light has been ordered. We have just been waiting on it to arrive. We hope to have the new light here and installed by the end of the week. Otherwise, when sailing at night, find the first red buoy (R2) then head straight for the Kennecott smokestack. This will take you right to R4. Navigation Notice #2 May 13, 2008 Deep Channel Bouy G11 floated away last night. We have retrieved the buoy and are repairing the ground tackle. This may take a day or two. Until G11 is back in place head for R12 before turning down the Deep Channel. Parking Lot Issues The parking lot is now getting quite busy on weekends. Most of our regular slip renters are being great about parking in a designated stall. But I would like to remind some of the trailer sailors and others bringing in larger vehicles during the weekend to park in regular stalls or if your vehicle and trailer do not fit in a stall, to park in the Day Trailer Parking area. Please do not park trailers and vehicles so that you are taking up several parking spots. Antelope Island Antelope Island is a great day destination by boat or by car. Please remember though, if traveling by boat, that the majority of the west shore is a wilderness area designated by the Division of Wildlife Services (not State Parks). This means it is illegal to go to shore except for White Rock Bay, Bridger Bay, and the Antelope Island Marina. White Rock and Egg Island are designated bird rookeries and should not be trespassed on. Antelope Island State Park rangers are working on "Free Days" and group days where you may go to shore on other western beaches. I will keep you posted on the details of this. The best anchorages are Indian Bay and Picture Rock behind the Miera Spit sand bar. White Rock Bay and Bridger Bay also make good anchorages but are a bit of a sail for a day anchorage. A couple notes though: Stay far from shore. It is very shallow along Antelope Island right now. The previously mentioned anchorages are the areas where you can get the closest to the island. Watch your depth and anchor in the sand. There is some tufa reef near these areas. The other issue is that all these anchorages are exposed to northerly and southerly swells. Antelope Island Marina I took a trip to the Antelope Island marina last Saturday. Much of the marina is very shallow. Depths in the useable part of the marina range from 3.5 to 5 feet. We will be doing some sounding up there in the next few weeks to find a viable path and docks. If our runoff looks good this year, this marina may be useable for shallower draft boats by early to mid June. The Great Salt Lake Marina has made arrangements for reciprocity with the Antelope Island Marina. This means if you are a slip renter at the Great Salt Lake Marina you may go up to Antelope Island Marina and use one of their slips for up to a week free of charge. Please call the Antelope Island Marina in advance to make arrangements though. This will prevent you from pulling into a pre-rented slip. It will also allow you to get information on available slips, depths and access to the gate if coming or going after hours. Sanders Marina on Stansbury Island Please remember that this is actually a private marina. Also, there are two very large boulders in the marina. One is located just inside the entrance. The other is located near the sea wall. The marina is also very shallow and should only be used as emergency protection. OSI Marina near Badger Island This marina is privately maintained. It is also very shallow and takes local knowledge to get through the dredged canal. Only the smallest draft vessels would be able to use this in an emergency. The marina is closed for the season. The gate on the road is closed and posted 'No Trespassing' Promontory Marina This marina is privately maintained and should only be used for "Safe Harbour". It does have a deaper channel than some of the other marinas on the lake but should only be used in emergencies. Sanders Marina at Lakeside High and Dry "Safe Harbour" Safe Harbour is a legal concept. It allows a boat in distress to use a marina that would not normally be open to them. A good example of this is the Great Salt Lake marina. This marina is primarily a recreational marina. Commercial activity such as brine shrimping operations are not allowed in the marina. That means the brine shrimp vessels are not allowed in the marina. Yet, if the weather becomes dangerous to their vessels or one of their vessels is in distress, we are obligated to give them Safe Harbour. This concept works for all. That means you, as a recreational sailor are not allowed in the privately or commercially operated marina's without prior permission. Yet, if you are in distress or your boat is in danger due to weather and sea conditions, you are allowed, by law, to access these marina's. If you want to visit one of these marina's as a recreational boater, please contact us and I will give you the office number for the private/commercial marina you may want to visit. A phone call to the operator may just gain you unhindered access and valuable information on how best to get in there. Other Cruising Information Boating season is now upon us. There are some great sailing destinations on the Great Salt Lake. In the coming weeks I will try to highlight some of these. If you have a favorite spot or observation please let me know and I will try to include it. No-See-Um's Those pesky bugs I was mentioning in last weeks issue? Well, they are quite active now. They are not as bad at the marina as some other areas. All of the islands of Great Salt Lake are infested with them right now. Trips to the island will produce massive amounts of welts, itching and discomfort. They should be through their feeding cycle in the next few weeks though. Dead Head Season Spring brings us many different seasons; It brings us the end of the Frontal season (weather). It brings us the beginning of the Monsoon season (weather). It brings us the Spring Runoff season. It brings "Radio Check" season. And the most hazardous season to navigating on Great Salt Lake is Dead Head season. As the water begins coming down the mountains the lake begins to come up. The currents begin to run strong. The combination of these two is what causes Dead Head season. The rising water pushes large logs/pilings off the islands of Great Salt Lake. These pilings then get caught in the currents of the lake and begin to flow down towards the Great Salt Lake Marina. These pilings are mostly the left-over debris from the 1903 railroad trestle. Some of these pilings will float right along the surface of the water. Most, though, will be just like an iceberg where almost the whole piling will be resting vertical below the surface with only a few inches breaking the surface. The bottom of the piling may even lodge into the mud bottom of the lake and become even more of a hazard to boats if hit. Many of these piling have spikes or nails protuding from them. These Dead Heads can be anywhere on the lake but the heaviest concentration of them are along the causeway and on the western portion of the lake floating down from Carrington and Stansbury Island. Keep a sharp lookout for these deadheads. They can do serious damage, if not hole a boat. Please take a gps coordinate of the Dead Head and then notify the marina office. We will attemp to remove the Dead Head. Dead Cow Season Another, most unpleasant obstacle that may be encountered on the lake during spring are dead, floating cows or sheep. Cattle and sheep grazing are quite common along the west shore of Great Salt Lake and on Stansbury Island. Every once in awhile these animals succomb to whatever element and become floating debris. If you spot one, please take a GSP coordinate and notify the marina office. We will do our best to remove the offensive animal. The Thermals One of the more pleasant aspects of spring is the early morning and evening thermals. When there is a substantial temperature difference between day and night a very pleasant thermal will blow outside the marina from Magna during the evening. This thermal will usually switch and come out of Tooele valley in the early morning and blow until mid morning. It is some of the best sailing of the season. Upcoming Events May 14th Wednesday Night Race #1 GSLYC May 17th & 18th Spring Regatta #2 GSLYC May 17th First Aid Classes Great Salt Lake Row May 21st Wednesday Night Race #2 GSLYC May 24th Reynolds Cup (80 Miler) GSLYC May 28th Wednesday Night Race #3 GSLYC May 31st June 1st Spring Regatta #1 Makeup GSLYC June 4th Wednesday Night Race #4 GSLYC June 6th Junior Sailing Program GSLYC June 7th Solo Endurance Race GSLYC June 7th Women's Sailing Program GSLYC June 7th Learn to Row Day Great Salt Lake Row June 11th Founder's Cup GSLYC June 11th-15th SAIL FEST 2008 Hosted by GSLYC but open to all June 18th Wednesday Night Race #5 GSLYC June 20th Junior Sailing Program GSLYC June 21st White Rock Cruise GSLYC June 21st Utah Summer Games Great Salt Lake Row June 25th Wednesday Night Race #6 GSLYC June 27th Junior Sailing Program GSLYC June 28th Pepsi Cola Cup GSLYC June 28th Wine & Cheese Social GSLYC Thank You Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Weather Warning
by gslharbormaster 11 May '08

11 May '08

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users Although wind and weather patterns look favorable for most of this Mother's Day Sunday, I am expecting we will be issuing a Gale Force Warning by late afternoon to mid evening for the Great Salt Lake Marina area and possibly the Great Salt Lake. I would advise you watch and listen to all weather information sources if you plan a boating excursion later today. Moderate to rough seas accompanied by blustery wind gusts are possible later today. No warnings have been issued yet. If you have internet access I would monitor www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/curent/meso.wfrnt and watch the GSL Marina and Hat Island sites. Thank you Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina

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